And then… clang!
by magic bean buyer
Summary: A mysterious illness falls in Camelot! One that no one can escape, one that brings awful results or not?
1. Chapter 1

Please read and review! Happy reading!

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><p>It was around midday when Merlin woke up. He left his room searching for Gaius almost upon realizing that the time couldn't be 6 anymore! He couldn't find him anywhere. When he noticed the time he got surprised. At the same time he started wondering what on earth was happening.<p>

"Why didn't anyone come to look for me?"

"And most importantly why didn't anyone come to wake me up?"

"And most importantly where is Gaius?"

"And most importantly where is Arthur?"

"And most importantly why isn't he shouting at me as we speak?"

"And most importantly where is everybody...?"

Merlin had noticed the strange quietness that was now dominating the castle.

Within seconds his mind went to the worst possible interpretation of this silence he had just witnessed.

He ran to the court at once as if his whole world was on fire.

He was now breathing heavily. When he finally arrived there the first ray of sun hit his face. The sun was burning even the stones. He could feel it as upon seconds after standing there he felt sweat dripping down his face. He wiped it off with his sleeve.

It was the middle of December.

"Well, it certainly isn't 6 am in the morning anymore!"

"And most importantly it doesn't look like it is December!"

"And most importantly things certainly don't look fine!"

"And most importantly…"

"Will you shut up already?" Arthur whispered irritably behind the corner after rolling his eyes. The other knights were enjoying it, giggling, as Merlin was taking too long to process the facts to figure out what was going on. The only one without expression was Elyan.

"Arthur?" Shouted Merlin with excitement.

"Where have you all been?" Merlin said with concern.

"You're a slow one aren't you?" Arthur said annoyed followed by a laugh from the other knights, except Elyan again.

"You were ruining the silence and you were interrupting our investigation!"

"What investigation? How can it be an investigation if it's behind the column? What are you investigating? The architecture's competence?"

"No, Meeerlin… in case you didn't notice there is something very off going on and there is a man over there. We are trying to figure out who he is…" Arthur responded

"What?" Merlin looked puzzled.

"He clearly, by his cloak which by the way is red, oh and which by the way carries a Camelot symbol on it, is a knight of Camelot! And by the looks of it may be dead and needs help! So what are you waiting for?" Merlin responded with an even more confused face expression.

"Well… " Arthur was now trying to commence an explanation.

"And why is Elyan looking so lost?" Merlin interrupted.

"And why is Gwaine rubbing his eyes all the time?" And why is Percival looking so fat so suddenly? And what are you doing with Gaius cane? Ha?" said Merlin in a very confused tone.

"Are you finished? "Arthur said in an ironic tone.

"Yes?" said Merlin slowly in a uncertain tone as if he wasn't sure anymore if he wanted to hear the answers, as if he was feeling already regret for asking, with a tone that expressed that he was now sure that he wouldn't like the answers. His face took a worried expression.

"Well …" said Arthur a bit reluctantly," it seems that there is an illness in Camelot that everyone has fallen to …maybe that's why you look more stupid than ever…"

The knights were laughing again in the background.

"Thanks..." Merlin replied sarcastically,"and?"

"And it seems that it affects everyone in a different way…"continued Arthur. "Elyan went deaf, Gwaine is losing slowly his sight, Percival is…well, getting fatter as you noticed and I am developing a amm aaaa…."

"Limp?" Merlin completed.

"Yes that. Why isn't there something wrong with you? You didn't drink any water did you?"

"I don't know. What does it matter? Who did this?"

"Well early in the morning people started coming around asking for help and yelling that a witch poured poison in their water to avenge my father's actions and get revenge from Camelot. After a while we noticed that everyone was getting sick, even me."

"But I didn't have any water; I just had beer…!" yelled Gwaine in the background.

"Well it doesn't matter! Beer has water too." Arthur responded wittily.

"Is he getting stupid too? Or was he always like this? I think this disease is making everybody stupid. Sh…"

Before Arthur could finish his sentence Merlin walked away to approach the unknown knight in sight. He was leaning against the wall. Merlin tried to shake him to see if he was still alive. He couldn't stand up, he explained. He felt a sharp pain in his ribs that he couldn't ignore.

"The next thing I knew boy was that I fell unconscious to the floor." He said to Merlin.

"Here I'll help you get back to your home" Merlin offered.

"No! It doesn't matter anymore. The witch has taken it with her. There is nothing left. Nothing left from Camelot to Ealdor."

"Ealdor?" Merlin was now panicking.

"Who is this witch everyone keeps telling me about?"

"And most importantly what does she want?"

"And most importantly who is she after?"

"And most importantly where is she?"

"And most importantly…" Merlin was about to complete his thought when he was interrupted by a shout in the background.

"SHUT UUUUUUUUPPPP!" All the knights shouted in symphony.

Well not all of them, except Elyan. The man didn't have a clue what was going on.

Merlin regrouped with the knights and urged them to think a plan as his mother would be in danger by now.

But when the time came to put the plan in work they found themselves surrounded by the witch's army and captured. It was anticipated as Arthur couldn't ran, Elyan couldn't understand what the others were shouting for, Percival was getting tired very quickly with all that weight he carried and Gwaine kept stumbling and hitting columns with his face. By the end of the battle it was just Merlin standing but he couldn't help the other knights so he was cornered too at the end.

By the nightfall they found themselves been carried to a cave. Later on they were all lying on wooden tables with their legs and hands tied. No one could move.

They could hear the witch approaching by the sound of her shoes.

"Everyone play dead!" Shouted Percival.

Arthur looked confused."This disease is making all of you stupid! How does that help?"

"Well I thought…never mind." said Percival remorsefully.

The witch entered the room.

"Well ,well…" Arthur Pendragon…no less!" said the witch with satisfaction. "Merlin ? What an honor! Knights… the pleasure is all mine. But now let's cut to the chase. I have lots to kill, oh; to do is what I and your father will pay for what you have done."

"Take me; let the others go" Arthur intervened.

The witch got angry but decided anyway to continue.

"Ha ha ha, who do you think I am? Your knight? Ha! Your servant? Ha! They have served, you haven't they?"

"Yes" said Arthur confidently.

"Then they are you, for they incorporate your principles, your values and your follow your instructions, not their own, they do as their king demands do they not?"

"Yes, but they are not responsible for my decisions! " said Arthur trying hard to convince her to set them free.

"Of course they are. They are the ones applying them whereas you are the one deciding them."

"Please no!"

"Enough with the pleadings, I am past that Arthur Pendragon. And to show you how serious I am I will start with an example. A strong one in hope that the rest will see their mistakes and retreat before it is too late. I shall start with your most trusted servant Merlin!"

Every one of them was now terrified. Their faces were pale as a white sheet, scared and full of despair.

"I shall cut off his heart!"

Merlin was now even more terrified.

As the witch raised the knife in the air everyone was screaming in despair.

And as they watched the witch lowering the knife towards Merlin's heart, everyone was trying to escape from the ropes that hold their hands and legs. Every one of them wanted to ran free and help him. Those few seconds looked like eternity to Merlin. He was anticipating the hit as he himself couldn't move either in order to defend himself. But no one could. No one seemed to be able to free them self just by struggling with the ropes.

What was left to do?

They screamed for a god from the machine to come save Merlin from death.

They screamed in hope the witch would stop, show mercy and spare Merlin.

Every one of them was trying.

Every one of them was trying desperately.

And then… "clang".


	2. Chapter 2

The axe intercepted the knife's direction taking it out of the witch's hands. The witch froze. She wasn't expecting that.

"Where did that come from? Who goes there? " Said the witch enraged for someone had cut her plans short. At the same time she was consumed by fear.

Everybody froze. They were expecting the hero to come forward and reveal himself. But he did not. Just a minute later smoke started entering the room. It took a few seconds for the room to fill with it. Nothing was visible anymore. The witch could not see her prisoners nor could the knights see the witch. Their vision was limited. And that was only the beginning. The smoke and subsequently the lack of air was depriving them of oxygen.

The witch was quick enough to respond with the appropriate spell. She drew back the smoke to clear the air. And by doing so she was able just in time to catch a glimpse of a man turning in the corner. It was an old man wearing a long black hooded cloak. The witch tried to run after him. She wanted to know who was ruining her plans.

Merlin seized the moment, since everyone were dizzy from the smoke he thought he would use his magic to set the knights free and hopefully they wouldn't notice. The knights in their surprise found their hands let free by an unseen force. They hadn't time to think about that though. Their first move was to set free the rest of their limbs. When Arthur was finally free he tried to find the rest of the knights to help them too. In his surprise he found Elyan trying to set himself free too successfully while finding Percival trying to set himself free unsuccessfully; since his overweight belly was distracting him from seeing his own feet nevertheless reach them to untie them. Oh the spectacle! The sight was just too ridiculous he felt badly for him. He approached to help him when he noticed Gwaine remaining motionless. He was not attempting to free himself like the others. Arthur looked concerned.

"Is Gwaine alright?" He asked.

Percival shrugged his shoulders and then Arthur turned to Elyan for an answer, but after a few moments of staring at him and not getting an answer he remembered the fact that he was getting he decided to approach Gwaine worrying something had happened to him. He shook Gwaine's shoulders while he was about to call his name. Gwaine immediately draw back as to try to defend himself before Arthur could say anything and yelled back:

"Stay away from me witch!"

"It's me Gwaine, Arthur."

"Oh, Arthur I am sorry, am afraid my sight is about to leave me soon…completely."

"Come on let's go!" Arthur rushed them to move after helping out Gwaine.

The witch was nowhere to be seen.

"We need to hurry the witch's gone." Said Percival.

"We need to free Merlin and run…" added Arthur.

"Where is Merlin?" Percival asked after he had observed that the table his was tied on just a few seconds before was now empty.

"Merlin? " Arthur said furiously looking for him.

When Arthur assured himself that Merlin was nowhere to be seen he ordered:

"We need to hurry! Percival, please help Gwaine." He kindly requested.

Percival was holding Gwaine from the arm guiding his way while Elyan was helping Arthur whose limping got worse by the time.

Few moments later while trying to find their way out of the cave the knights found Merlin hiding behind a corner observing.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted in a relieved tone.

"Shhhhhhh…!" responded Merlin annoyed as he had interrupted his concentration.

"What are you doing Merlin? Why did you leave without us?" Arthur asked in a low voice.

"I had to catch up the man who helped us…" said Merlin pointing at the man with the black cloak.

"Is that him?"

"Yes."

"Who is he?"

"Well I can't tell only by his cloak!" Merlin answered sarcastically.

"Oh yes right…"

" The witch! " Arthur noticed.

"Yes it seems they know each other. Shhh now…" Merlin said wanting to stop the conversation. " I need.. we need to hear this!"

Arthur felt a bit disappointed with Merlin's raw behavior but he understood its reasons behind it. He accepted it. He stood silently behind him watching the conversation the witch was having with the unknown hero.

Merlin was waiting to see who the person behind the black hood was with huge anticipation. For some reason he felt there was something familiar about that man.


	3. Chapter 3

The witch seemed like she was holding the man back.

"He caught him! He was trying to escape too…" Merlin muttered frustrated.

For their savior was now in troubles himself.

"We need to help him!" Arthur ordered.

"Do you mean to tell me that you heard what I said?"

"Yes Merlin, you 're louder than you think."

Merlin didn't like the answer.

"…I can hear you singing every morning that's what wakes me every day not your wake up call" continued Arthur.

"Ha…" that was Merlin's only response to that surprise.

"Yeah…now shh, listen they are fighting about my father." Arthur said in the same way Merlin had interrupted him earlier as to return the insult.

Merlin was still in surprise from Arthur's previous words so he continued without giving any attention to his recent comment.

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me that I do and you don't like?"

"I know everything about you Merlin. Don't think you can fool me!" Arthur said proudly forming a smile on his face.

"Oh is that so? " Merlin replied while suppressing unsuccessfully the smile on his face releasing a small laughter.

Arthur looked right back with a puzzled look." What is that smile supposed to mean? What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing…"

"" Gwaine said in a long lasting voice without breathing and full of annoyance. "I only have my hearing to process reality, please don't take that away from me too; be quiet for a little while now please."

"Sorry! " Replied immediately Arthur followed by Merlin's sorry which was in a shameful tone

"It's the Pendragon's fault you're here, why would you not help me bring him down instead of plotting against me especially now that you do not have your powers?" the witch wondered.

"I do not wish to fight with you! Walk away and no harm will come to you."

"Oh is that so! You think it's that simple. You do not have the power to fight me…"

The witch was interrupted by a small rock fall had Percival caused.

He was leaning against a rock which did not seem to really hold his weight.

The two of them fighting immediately stopped to see who was overhearing them.

"Who goes there?" the witch shouted.

There was a silence and then…

"No one!" Percival popped without thinking.

Arthurs face upon realizing the stupidity of Percival actions changed from the worried one to a disappointed one.

He couldn't believe the stupidity of it. He shook his head and ordered his knights to:

"Ruuuuuuuun!"

But that was meaningless. The witch took one step forward and stopped them by blocking their way to freedom with a big rock using her magic. By doing so she was now in between of the man with the black hole and the knights. The man with the black cloak turned to face the witch.

Merlin couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't believe he was seeing him again once more. The man returned his look with a disappointing one.

"You are now surrounded." Arthur announced.

"Maybe… but don't count on leaving here without any casualties. Because I may be leaving but I 'll be taking some of you down with me."

The witch threw a first knife to Percival, aiming at his head. Merlin flashed and caught the knife at the corner of his eyes. He instinctively ran to help Percival, getting him out of the knife's line of attack. Even though she did not find his head, Percival fell and hit a nearby limestone; one that caused an even worse rock fall, one that was now leading the road to the end. Thing weren't steady to begin with in there. It was already about to collapse. That was anyways the witch's plan: to tie the men down, torture them and leave them there waiting for nature to finish them for her. Unfortunately for her, her plan backfired. This time she was the one running to save her life from the rocks that were about to crash her. But in the same direction the rocks were heading, was the man Merlin was hoping to reunite with once more.

"Nooooooo" Merlin shouted while hopelessly watching the man being pushed by the rock to the ends of the cave and into the deep abyss.

When the rocks settled and the dust from the whole disruption was over Merlin ran at the end of the cliff in hope to find him still standing there.

To his surprise his father was still holding on with all the power a finger could give to a man to hold his body. He was few meters down from where Merlin was standing. He leveled to the ground and tried to reach for his father.

"Take my hand please…" Merlin said while his voice was colored with desperation.

His father was trying to reach out to grab his hand but he was unable, as he was constantly slipping minute by minute. The witch was hanging from Ballinor's ankle. She was holding her life in her hands, the same hands that were responsible for ending it, the ones pulling down the only man that could helped her. Arthur and the rest of the knights came to help but it was too late. He did let go eventually but not without taking Ballinor with her.

Ballinor knew the end was near when his first hand slipped.

"Am sorry Merlin"… were his last words.

And then the other hand slipped too.

That unbelievably painful moment when Ballinor let go Merlin shouted with all his power:

"Nooooooo"…

And then clang!

The metallic plates on the table jumped a few inches up in the air when Arthur's clenched fist hit the table, causing Merlin to wake up too abruptly.

"Sleeping during work again are we?"

Merlin didn't respond he was just happy it was all just a dream. He walked off with a sigh relief followed with a smile. A smile caused from his father visit even if it was just in his dreams.


End file.
